Callbacks for the MS production of Legally Blonde

On Thursday September 18th, the YMCA hosted their callbacks for the fall musical “Legally Blonde Junior.” Callbacks are very important for the director to narrow down the choices for the lead roles. The performances will be December 12 through the 14th.

Director Nicole Leotsakos brings together all twelve middle school students who were called back for the upcoming production of Legally Blonde Jr. The callbacks lasted two hours and the kids did an assortment of songs from the show as well as a read through. Credit: Kara Hersey for Manchester Essex Multimedia OnlineThe actors follow the lead of Leotsakos during the warm ups. The importance of body and face warm ups before rehearsal helps loosen posture and prepare performers for rehearsal, just as a singing warm up would. Credit: Kara Hersey for Manchester Essex Multimedia OnlineSince the YMCA is sponsoring this production of Legally Blonde Jr. they have provided each actor with a script. This show is based off of the movie Legally Blonde starring Reese Witherspoon that came out in 2001. Credit: Kara Hersey for Manchester Essex Multimedia OnlineMiddle school students Lilly Phipps, Aoife Dalton, Julia Kaper, and Sylvie Oldeman participate in the vocal warmups lead by musical director Carissa Gerber. For the warm up the kids did a variety of singing exercises including a siren which coming from the highest note in your head voice to the lowest note in your chest voice. Credit: Kara Hersey for Manchester Essex Multimedia OnlineGerber helps sixth grader Sylvie Oldeman learn the song “So Much Better” before she performs it alone for the director. Each actor had a chance to practice in groups and then by themselves before singing for the chance to play one of the main characters, Elle Woods. Credit: Kara Hersey for Manchester Essex Multimedia OnlineAfter completing the first signing portion of the callback, sixth grader Greta Dickson and eight graders Lilly Phipps and Savannah Reilly present the lines they were given for the cold reading. A cold reading is where the director gives the actors a few lines from the show that they have never seen before and have to act like the character they were given. Credit: Kara Hersey for Manchester Essex Multimedia Online

Gerber leads the group in learning the second song “Chip On My Shoulder” which is going to be sung by one of the main male characters. No middle school boys have signed up for the show and there are many boy parts, so Leotsakos asked everyone at the callbacks to try out for a male part. Credit: Kara Hersey for Manchester Essex Multimedia Online